This invention relates to the configuration of electrical contacts used within electrical circuit breakers and, more particularly, to a current limiting circuit breaker such as described within U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,021 to Franco Pardini et al. The Pardini et al patent, which is incorporated herein for reference purposes, discloses that current limitation is obtained by the rapid gereration of a high voltage arc between the circuit breaker contacts. The rapid generation of the arc is obtained by rapidly separating the contacts to create a gap between the contacts. This gap is obtained within a very short time, in the order of milliseconds, and is created by utilizing electrodynamic or electromagnetic forces to separate the contacts. The contact separation speed is much faster under electrodynamic or electromagnetic forces when both contacts are moveable than when only one of the contacts is moveable and hence the arc voltage is generated at a faster rate.
However, the circuit breaker ability to handle the current can be adversely influenced by having both contacts moveable, because the contacts are more likely to "bounce" apart upon closing with the result that elemental arcing can occur causing the contacts to become welded together.
The purpose of this invention is to provide a contact arrangement with reduced occurrence of contact bounce without interfering with the operating mechanism or requiring increased contact bias forces.